Cutting down springs

[Corn dodger]

A friend of mine cuts the springs on about every gun he gets, rifle, handgun or whatever. He cuts them to lighten the trigger and even to lighten the ejection. I know that cutting springs changes the spring dynamics, but I am not sure what end effect that may have. Anyone help me on this?

[Slamfire]

Fear the coil cutter!

These guys reduce the margin of available energy in their firing mechanisms, and then blame the primers for being "too hard" when their thunderstick won't go boom.

Some mechanisms can still reliably ignite ammo with a coil removed. But not all. Military mechanisms are designed to operate in severe environments, so people can cut coils, reducing the reliablity margin, but as long as they don't use the mechanism in cold, wet, or with hard primers, these things typically will go bang.

A friend of mine bought one of those "reduced" powder coil sets for his M686. It would go bang reliably single action, would not go bang much at all double action. Yes, the trigger pull was great, but he wanted a reliable self defense pistol. Back into the pistol went the old stiff springs.

Cold weather is a severe test for ignition systems. Your buds guns may not work reliably in cold weather.

I have been firing service rifles for decades. I am not bothered by a 4.5 pound pull in a rifle, as long as it has no creep. Handguns, when the pull gets below 2.5 pounds, I may not feel the trigger. So I like pulls around 3 to 3.5 pounds.

If the mechanism has a ten pound pull, something is going to have to be adjusted. But it is a case by case basis.

[James K]

I ran into a fellow at the range who was showing off the super light DA pull on his S&W revolver. It was very nice and just fine until he loaded the gun and clicked at a target. He blamed everything (ammo, weather, headspace, endshake) except the very expensive "trigger job" he had had done. His theme was that the gunsmith was "known nationwide" and was "the best", so it couldn't be the trigger job.

I didn't ask what the guy was known for, but it probably was for guns that didn't fire. Maybe he belonged to the Brady campaign.

Jim

[Unclenick]

Ditto Slamfire's experience. I'm so used to the 4.5 lb trigger, I wouldn't want it lighter on a defensive gun. I did have the experience of trying to group a rifle with a 9.5 pound trigger once. Because it had no overtravel stop, I found it just impossible not to move it at least some before the bullet cleared the tube. Seven pounds seems to me to be the magic dividing line between manageable and unmanagable. YMMV.

Also ditto Jim's experience, except mine was personal. I bought a Wolff reduced power spring set for a Dan Wesson .357 I had. Single action still worked most of the time, but double-action ignition was a 50:50 proposition. It is interesting to me that modern revolvers favor the short stroke double-action. It requires less trigger finger reach, but the loss of mechanical advantage means you have to trade that off for stiffer trigger pull against equally strong and leveraged mainsprings. I have a pre-war K-22 that my great aunt bought new in 1936 for $38. I still have the original box and receipt. Long stroke double-action. The broshure in the box indicated that S&W skilled gunsmiths matched the case-hardened trigger group parts by hand. They must have known what they were doing. The thing is glass smooth all the way through the easiest as-built double-action I've ever felt.

I read once that Ed McGivern never got his guns worked on, but used them as packaged by the S&W factory. Now you know why that worked out for him.

[DWARREN123]

I don't think cutting springs is a good idea. Maybe going with slightly lighter springs made for this is a better idea but most are made to make sure of proper operation and safety.
Spring changes should, in my opinion, be done only by knowledgeable folk.

[HeroHog]

Just FYI, cutting a spring actually RAISES its spring rate (measured in lbs of force required to compress the spring an inch). What shortening actually does is reduce the preload on the spring.

Carry on.

[JasonG]

Cutting any spring usually goes like this:

1- Needs more
2- That's getting there
3- A touch more will be perfect
4- Darn it !

Don't cut 'em

[Harry Bonar]

Sir;
Yes! I've done it - Don't Do It!
Harry B.

[TEDDY]

my wife has a custom mod model 10 bull barrel with Bomar rib made for double shooting.I was shooting and suddenly I heard two shots,that pull was so light the recoil made me double.what a supprise.I will stick with my 3.5 pull on my mod ten and 4 on the 1911.